


Into The Unknown

by Krit



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/F, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Fluff, Friendship, Healing, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Road Trips, Romance, Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:33:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23041801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krit/pseuds/Krit
Summary: Jonathan is dead, Clary’s not going anywhere, and Alec decides his team needs a break. Simon decides that means a road trip!Maybe this will be good for everyone.Malec are newlywedsClizzy just started datingJimon don’t even know they’re in love yetRating is for later chapters. Tags will be updated as we go. This one isn’t gonna get dark.Content warnings for canon; past angst is discussed.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Simon Lewis/Jace Wayland
Comments: 13
Kudos: 55





	1. Prologue : Ready Set Go

When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, the world was safe again. His family was happy. Alec and Magnus went on a week long Honeymoon and when they got back, Alec had something close to an epiphany. 

“We should go away for a while. I mean all of us.” 

“What, like a family vacation?” Izzy raised an eyebrow. 

“Road trip!” Simon shouted. “Clary and I always meant to do a cross country road trip after high school! But then... we did..... other... things.” He cleared his throat. “We should go on a road trip.” He offered calmly. 

Alec wasn’t sure how everyone ended up agreeing to that. They all went to go pick out and RV, which was an adventure of its own. 

The one they settled on was nice. A closed off little bedroom at the end that everyone agreed would go to the married couple, bunk beds and storage just before that, a small bathroom with a shower, and a living room and kitchen area that was roomier than Alec expected. Still close quarters, but at least they managed to agree on an RV instead of Simon’s van. It opened into the cab, with a closable partition, two seats, and a touch screen on the dashboard. 

They agreed Simon would do most of the driving, with Clary switching out when needed.

Clary insisted that she and Izzy should get the top bunk, because they were smaller, and as a couple, they should be afforded a bit more privacy. The boys squinted at her, vaguely aware that while she had a point, she was also full of shit. But Jace wanted the bottom bunk anyway. 

Packing was an interesting experience. They all agreed they wanted to keep things as mundane as possible. Magic only for in emergencies. Weapons stashed where they could be reached, but only as a precaution. Clary put together a tote box full of her art supplies. One acoustic guitar, one electric, a keyboard, and two amps were lovingly secured next to it. 

Izzy insisted on a tote almost as big as Clary’s, full of yarn, and a bag of her crocheting supplies. Alec’s notebooks and Magnus’ cameras were tucked away in the bedroom. 

Alec wondered if they had packed too many clothes. But he didn’t dare say so aloud in front of Izzy and Magnus. He also wondered if they packed too much booze. But he didn’t dare say so aloud in front of Jace and Magnus. 

Simon and Clary brought mundane games that they insisted were fun. Alec recognized a couple. Jace brought his chess set, mumbling that he missed his and Magnus’ Late Night Roommate Death Matches. 

Simon had a mini fridge to himself for his blood supply, and Magnus assured them he knew where to get more along the way. 

There was more junk food than Alec had expected. But as soon as he had that thought, he realized that he absolutely should’ve expected it. His friends were overgrown children, and in fact, it looked like they actually restrained themselves. 

And so, they left the institute in the capable hands of Andrew Underhill, and set off towards a well deserved break. 


	2. Boston

  
The initial ride out of the city was strange. Simon insisted on playing the nineties summer pop jams playlist on his phone. Clary was the only one who willingly admitted out loud that she liked it.

They ate pizza, and the others asked Clary and Simon random questions about mundane high schools. They were fascinated by the concept of pep rallies. The conversations were light and banal, and so refreshing.

They stopped at a restaurant along the Boston Harbor, and Alec spent two hours reciting random facts about the city and its history, read off Wikipedia on his phone. By the time they finished their meal, the sun was about to set, and Alec had five different destinations in the city planned for the next day. There was a little beach nearby, where they went to dip their feet in the water.

Magnus got a shot of the girls from behind them, in up to their ankles with their pant legs rolled up, Izzy’s arm around Clary’s shoulders and Clary’s hand in Izzy’s back pocket. They were looking out at the water with the sun setting behind them. Both of them bathed in a soft glow of golden light, standing out bright against the darkening ocean.

“We used to go to Coney Island all the time.” Clary told Izzy quietly. “I always loved it. I love the water.”

“We should hit up a lot of beaches.” Izzy nodded seriously.

“We could go up the coast.” Alec interjected. “Head up to Maine, and then loop back along the Canadian border towards the Lakes.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“There are a lot of woods and campgrounds along that way.”

When they got back to the RV, Jace set up the chess board and broke out the beer.

“Come and get it, old man!” He grinned.

“Hm. That’s what your brother said last night.”

Amidst drunken giggles and unhelpful advice shouted from the others, Jace drove Magnus nearly to a stalemate before being summarily defeated. He demanded a rematch, but Alec insisted they go to sleep. He wanted to get up early “to do a self-guided walking tour of the Freedom Trail”. Jace and Izzy didn’t know what that meant, but judging by the bemused smiles on the others, they had a feeling it was going to be interesting.

~

In another life, Alec would’ve made an amazing tour guide. He led them around the city, a map pulled up on Magnus’ phone as he read facts and stories off of his own, going on tangents as he looked up random things about the city and its history.

Jace and Izzy insisted on stopping in three different candy shops, but Alec had planned for that.

“You know, I only ever came to Boston once, and it was on business. But I’m told there’s a delightful little market place down that way.” Magnus kissed Alec’s cheek. “If we’re about done with our walk down memory lane.”

When they reached the market, Clary and Alec lingered to watch the street performers as Magnus and Izzy parsed out their shopping strategy. Jace and Simon wandered off, following the sound of music.

Simon nearly bumped into Jace as the other boy stopped dead, staring at the source of the melody. A little boy, twelve at most, sat at a piano, playing beautifully. Blonde curls poked out from under the boy’s hat.

“Did you know I straighten my hair?” Jace asked quietly. He was staring at the boy with a faraway look on his face. “It gets curly if I let it.”

Simon looked at Jace for a moment, before looking at the boy again, then back at Jace. “I think I’d like to see that.”

“He’s so small.” Jace seemed to be half talking to himself. “Why are kids so _small_?” He shook his head and shrugged, as though snapping himself out of something. “He’s talented. Got a good career ahead of him if he wants.”

“Yeah.” Simon smiled and nudged his shoulder against Jace’s, standing with him as they listened to the boy play.

They dropped off their shopping bags and grabbed lunch before Clary dragged everyone to the art museum. She took the baton of Over Excited Tour Guide from Alec as she gave detailed lectures on the various pieces and their respective creators.

At one point, Izzy had to physically lift her up and over her shoulder, and remove her from a painting that had inspired a truly vitriolic rant from her that then attracted the attention of a nearby security guard.

They brought dinner back to the RV, and Jace pulled out his keyboard. He didn’t play anything in particular, just putting lazy melodies to the conversation as it flowed.

They planned their onward trajectory for the morning, headed north along the coast. Eventually, they settled down for the night, exhausted and excited. Magnus relaxed into bed and began uploading the photos he'd taken to his laptop.

Alec snuggled up next to him, opened one of his journals and grabbed a pen.

‘ _I didn’t even know how much I missed your smiles until I saw them again._

_J_ _oy unhindered for the first time in a long time._

_Carefree, the way we were before._

_Nothing is lost. We’re still here. Only growing every day._

_T_ _hree go in. Six come out._ ’

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one. Some will be longer. Depends on what happens along the way.  
> It's an adventure!

**Author's Note:**

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